Alexandria firm helps families connect during COVID-19

An Alexandria law firm is helping residents of two local healthcare facilities stay in touch with their loved ones during COVID-19.

Curcio Law is donating video conferencing devices as part of the seventh annual “Injury Board Day of Action” — a collaborative effort by the nation’s plaintiff’s attorneys to make a difference in their local communities.

“We’ve been hearing that ‘we’re all in this together,’ for months,” said attorney Tom Curcio. “But for so many who are living in healthcare facilities, being together is no longer an option. We want our donation to help connect loved ones.”

The annual event is sponsored by the Injury Board, or IB. Founded in 2001, IB is a membership organization comprised of leading trial lawyers throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, according to the website.

Curcio said that every year, IB brainstorms a “timely” theme for community events. Therefore, due to mandated social distancing guidelines brought on by COVID-19, the theme of this Day of Action is “Connecting Loved Ones” with the goal to improve ongoing communication between residents of healthcare facilities and their families and friends.

“In these challenging, disconnected days, our member attorneys and their firms across the country are doing just that with a Day of Action – they’re serving and they’re leading. And more than that, we’re helping some of our communities’ most vulnerable family members stay connected,” said attorney Tom Young, founder of IB. 

Last month, Curcio Law donated two Google Nests – a type of video conferencing device – to Mount Vernon Healthcare Center and ManorCare Health Services in Alexandria.

“The beauty of it is that are portable, so they can be taken from room to room so different residents in the nursing home can use them,” Curcio said.

Curcio Law has participated in the Day of Action event for six years. Last year, the firm donated and helped install an Amazon Alexa in an elderly couple’s home; the year before that, the firm had “brinner” – breakfast for dinner – at the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Virginia. 

“It’s great to get the entire staff involved every year in this event,” Curcio said.

The demand for video conferencing devices and software increased across the board when the novel coronavirus spiked a series of statewide lockdowns in March. By the beginning of April, conferencing apps saw a record 62 million downloads, many of which arose out of businesses transitioning to remote working, according to Business Wire.

Curcio Law is no exception. In the past six months, Curcio and his staff have grown accustomed to holding initial client meetings, mediations and mock jury trials all via Zoom.

Curcio joked that the pandemic has also forced his firm to embrace Microsoft Teams which, prior to 2020, was a software downloaded onto their computers after upgrading to Windows 10 that “no one really knew how to use or what it was.” 

In addition to commending IB for its dedication to the annual Day of Action event, Curcio credited the organization for helping its members navigate the rapid technological changes law firms experienced at the onset of COVID-19.

“Early on in the pandemic, [IB] had a whole series of one-hour seminars where they would bring in members who were on the forefront of technology…. to talk about these different technologies we had to adopt,” Curcio said. “Things like that make being a member of the IB a very positive, helpful thing for the practice, both personally and professionally.”

Curcio Law has  donated to its community by buying lunches for local first responders.

“We will continue to do stuff like that. We certainly believe in being involved in the community, and we’re very fortunate to do what we do and be able to do so,” Curcio said.

For more information on IB and the Day of Action event, visit www.injuryboard.org.